The Buccaneers are trying to defuse a tense situation in the wake of their midfielder contracting Covid-19
Orlando Pirates have called for calm following midfielder Ben Motshwari’s positive test for the coronavirus.
The Soweto giants announced on Thursday that Motshwari had “flu-like symptoms last week and after undergoing tests, his results have come back positive“.
The 29-year-old becomes the first Premier Soccer League (PSL) player to be diagnosed with the coronavirus and is the second South African footballer to contract the virus after Portugal-based Sphephelo Sithole earlier this week.
Orlando Pirates administrative manager Floyd Mbele has, however, insisted that there is no need for unnecessary alarm, saying the development does not represent a catastrophe amongst all players in South Africa‘s league system
“Let us not think that far. This is just one in 480 [PSL] players. It is 0.01 percent. Let us not think that far. This is not a time where we can start to panic. No, we can’t. We are being responsible citizens by sharing this information. We could have easily kept quiet,” Mbele told IOL.
While also stressing that the global pandemic is real, Mbele’s message comes as South Africa has now recorded over 8000 coronavirus infections and 161 deaths by Friday as per government data provided by the Ministry of Health
“The messaging is consistent. This goes to show that this thing [the coronavirus] is there,” said Mbele.
“We’ve been talking about it when it was not here, but now it is. Our message is simple, people must follow all the protective measures.
“They must stay at home. Those who are not the essential services, they must stay at home. You can’t be moving around because this thing is there.”
Motshwari’s positive test could spark debate on whether the PSL season should restart, played behind closed doors or be cancelled altogether.
Various leagues across the world have brought an end to their seasons, most notably Ligue 1, Eredivisie and Belgian Pro League.
In Africa, the first divisions in Kenya, Niger and Congo have been brought to an end.
The PSL might, however, try to pluck a leaf from the Bundesliga which is set to continue despite three people at FC Koln being confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus.
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